Around The Riverbend
by unfortunate-souls
Summary: Pocahontas, a waitress at the local diner in West Andily, wants to discover herself, but what will she find along the way? A Soap Opera based on the world of Disney.
1. When Will My Life Begin

Chapter 1: **When Will My Life Begin**

"Can I get a bowl of fries please?"

Well, that's probably the hundredth time I've heard that today, and I still have a whole hour left before my shift ends. Even though I'm bored out of my mind from living out the same old thing at Isla de Muerta, the local diner owned by Ursula, I'm extremely grateful to have a job at all. No matter how many times Ursula irks me or how many shifts I have to cover, I need this job in absence of my father. Ever since he started campaigning for mayor, his priorities had shifted drastically. I really don't understand why he did it, but I know I have to support him unconditionally. I politely nod as I make my way to the kitchen, giving the order to Chef Louis and heading out to clear some more tables.

"Don't you just love the long, boring shifts?", Esmeralda remarks and I respond by giving her a small smile. Esmeralda was my best friend ever since my father and I moved here. She was asked to show me around High School and we stayed friends ever since. She even helped me get my job when we graduated and I didn't have a clue what to do afterwards. I didn't want to go to college. I'm such a free spirit and I had a feeling that I would feel trapped. I was just glad that Esmeralda felt the exact same way and offered to get me a job at the diner.

"Yeah, they're the best", I reply sarcastically as I pack a table that's been left in such a state that I question whether or not their mother taught them how to clean. I try to think back to who was sitting there. A group of old, short men, I think.

An hour later, Esmeralda and I finish the night shift and close up the diner. I wave her goodbye as I drive back to my father's house. I really don't expect him to be there, but it would be nice to spend some time with him. The drive is short and I lock my car, making my way to our house. It's not very fancy, but it's home. We live in the suburban area of West Andily, but our neighbourhood is nice. I know everyone on the street and I feel like they're more than just neighbours. The old women next door are very nice and always ask me how I'm doing. As I walk up the front porch I hear barking that makes me smile and bend over to my dog. Perdita is always good company.

"Hi, baby", I hear my boyfriend before I see him. I smile at him then kiss him on the cheek, wanting more than anything to get out of my mustard yellow and black uniform and into a hot shower.

"Hey. How was work?", I ask as I toss my keys onto the small coffee table in the living room, making my way toward my bedroom. I hear Kocoum's footsteps behind me, signalling him following. He works as a construction worker and helps my father with his campaign on occasion. I'm so lucky to be with him. I think my father welcomed him into the family and our home simply because he shared the same heritage. I'm still deciding whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"It was good. The new building is almost done. Apparently it's going to be a clothing store or something?", he says as he shrugs his shoulder, obviously clueless to what it actually will be.

"I think I heard something about that at work", I reply, looking for some clean clothes for my shower.

Thankfully, Kocoum finally gets the hint and dawdles back into the living room, turning on the television and I grab my toiletries and try to wash the day's work from my body. As I scrub the stress away, I can't help but think that there's more in the world for me. I know I was destined for something great, but what? It was so hard on my father and I when my mother died, and my grandmother couldn't move with us due to her illness. It was hard to try and figure myself out without a woman to guide me. My father was amazing, and he did his best, but with the mayoral shenanigans, I don't think he's as interested as he used to be. I decide as I dry myself off that I'll video call my grandmother and ask for her advice. She always gives the best advice.

"Hello, grandmother", I say as I giggle. She obviously still hasn't mastered skype.

"Hello, child", she says back as she finally is in the correct position so that I can see her and she can see me. I already feel wisdom starting to course through my body.

"How have you been?", I ask politely as she goes into detail about how her illness has temporarily given her house arrest, but how she must stay positive. I really admire her strength and hope that one day I will be half the woman she is.

"I don't know, I just feel like there's more that I could do. I'm not exactly sure what, but there's just a feeling. What should I do?", I say as she notices my distressed state and questions me on it.

"I have been feeling something lately. My dear, there is a path for you out there in the world, and you can't find it behind an apron. You must follow your dreams", she says simply. If only it were simple.

"But I don't know what I want! I don't know what my dreams are!", I say a little loudly before cringing. I don't mean to raise my voice to my grandmother who is trying to help, nor to my boyfriend, who fell asleep on the sofa while I was in the shower.

"That's the best part about the journey, isn't it? The discovery"

She's right. I know she is. I just feel like fate isn't on my side and I can't find a way to get a kick start. We say our goodbyes as I shut down my laptop and walk into the living room. The loud snores from Kocoum make me giggle as I cover him with a thin blanket before I take a quick peek outside. My father's car still isn't here and it's now midnight. I sigh as I walk back into my bedroom, getting underneath the comforter and praying that tomorrow the answer will come.


	2. A Rather Blustery Day

Chapter 2: **A Rather Blustery Day**

My obnoxiously loud alarm wakes me and I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. I feel oddly refreshed but also a weight on my chest at the same time. I try to shake the clashing emotions from me as I get ready for work for the day. I hear the shower running as I make my way down the hallway and into the kitchen to make some breakfast. I glance out the window and see my father's car in the driveway for once. A small smile creeps up on my face as I look out the next window and see Kocoum feeding Perdita. He's such a good boyfriend. I realize that it must be my father in the shower. As I pour my favorite cereal into two bowls, Kocoum enters the house and gives me a quick peck on the cheek.

"Good morning", he states cheerfully.

"Morning", I respond, not as cheerful as him, but not as glum as I feel.

"Did you sleep okay?", I ask as I cringe, remembering he fell asleep on the couch and must've stayed there all night. He is a gentleman and would never sleep in the same bed as me. Not in my father's house anyway.

He assures me that he did and we eat our breakfast in silence. I hear the shower turn off and I start to feel slightly anxious, I have no idea why. The amount of time my father has spent away makes me feel more and more disconnected with him, and that makes me upset. He's all I've got now. Except for Kocoum. And my grandmother. And Esmeralda. Okay, so I'm being a little dramatic, but I don't want to lose my relationship with my father.

"Good morning, daughter", my father interrupts my thoughts as he walks into the kitchen in an indigo blazer and matching dress pants, his dress shoes so shiny that I can see my reflection.

"Good morning, father", I respond with a nod. He's always been formal with me, but his campaign seems to have intensified his formal persona.

"Kocoum, thank you for organizing the timber in the backyard yesterday", my father praises him as they both get into a discussion about Kocoum building a shed in the backyard for both of them to work in. I'm sure my father is just being polite because I really don't see him putting any time aside to work projects that will involve being in the shed.

My father leaves for work and I grab my keys to work the morning shift. I give Kocoum a kiss goodbye as he leaves for work at the same time. On my way to work, I get a text from Peter asking if I can let Ursula know that he'll be late to his shift. I roll my eyes and frown and continue the drive. I really don't like working shifts with him. He's a nice guy, but he can be so irresponsible. I bet his excuse is going to be something lame, when I know he was just out getting drunk and now has a hangover. I'm also annoyed at the fact that he wants me to deal with Ursula. She scares the hell out of me even when she compliments me, which is a very rare occasion. Leaving my car clad in my black shirt and yellow jacket and skirt attire, I lock it and head inside. Ursula is opening up everything and looks annoyed already. At least I'm on time.

"Morning, Ursula. Um, Peter wanted me to let you know he may be a little late", I say meekly and hope that she didn't hear me.

"Pan is going to be late?", she raises her voice and I feel like crawling back to my car and leaving. I squeal a little and nod my head, hoping my small answer will suffice.

She doesn't say anything further and I open up the rest of the diner, the first customer coming in at precisely 9 am. I raise my brow slightly at her attire, she looks too proper to be in a diner like this.

"A breakfast bagel and a flat white, please", she says with an English accent, enunciating each word perfectly.

"No problem, that'll be $8.50, ma'am", I say with a smile. I really enjoy the customer service end of the job, especially with such amiable people like this lady. She hands over cash and I give her correct change before giving the order to the chef of the day. Great, it's Colette.. No Peter, Ursula and Colette is just a recipe for disaster. She drones on and on about having a breakfast bagel on the menu because it's not "fine dining" and I roll my eyes, leaving to make the coffee.

An hour into the shift and Peter finally arrives and Ursula doesn't even flinch which annoys me even more than I already am. A blonde man enters the diner that I have never seen before. Usually only our regulars come in on a Thursday, and maybe a few who I've seen around town. The woman from this morning and this man are both new, and coincidentally, he sits at the table with her. I was beginning to wonder why she had been here for an hour. She finished her breakfast twenty minutes ago. I realize that Colette is practically screaming at me to take an order to a table. I take a deep breath before filling her request then I make my way to the English woman and the handsome man. He doesn't look any older than me. Wait, why did I call him handsome? He's good looking, I know that, but I'm not attracted to him, am I? It's the day I'm having, it's got to be. Kocoum is very handsome.

"Just a long black please", he says as I nod and take his order. He didn't seem friendly and has suddenly lost his attraction.

The rest of my shifts goes by slowly and Esmeralda walks through, wanting to get her schedule for the next week. I smile in relief, finally having some good company as she sits at on the stool in front of the counter, digging through the bowl of wings I got for her.

"What's up, girl? Urs been giving you a hard time?", she asks sympathetically and I smile. She always knows what I'm thinking and can immediately tell when I'm down. I blow out a sigh of frustration and laugh lightly. I usually laugh when I'm so frustrated. There's nothing else for me to do.

"I'm just tired of everything, y'know?", I say as I tilt my head.

"I know", she says with a nod. She suggests we go for a day out shopping tomorrow since we're both off and I agree before I can think about it. I promised myself earlier to stay home all day tomorrow for the minor chance that my father will be home, but what's the point? I know he won't come home until early hours of the morning, so I'll just be setting myself up for disappointment. I finish my shift and end up closing because Peter said he felt sick and had to leave. Ursula didn't even blink and i start to wonder how he got the job in the first place. By the time I get home, no one is there. Kocoum must have had to work the night shift as well. I was so happy when my father offered him a key of his own. Not only because that was him practically giving his blessing, but also because I felt terribly guilty when he would wait for me at the diner to finish my shift. I insisted that he just go home and I'd text him, but he wanted to see me. And the diner was halfway between my house and his house, and I assume he didn't like the long drive back and forth.

"You have a good day, Perdy?", I ask as I scratch her head lightly and she yelps in response. I go inside and she follows, grabbing out her dog food and putting it into her dog bowl. She eats her food as I make my way to the lounge and sink into the sofa. I can feel my eyes are heavy and I try my best to continue watching the trashy reality show on TV, but sleep eventually takes over.


	3. I'm Wishing

Chapter 3: **I'm Wishing**

An enormous clock comes rushing toward me as I try my best to dodge it. I have no idea how I got here, nor where I am, but I am determined to stay safe and alive. Tick, tick, tick, tick. It just won't stop ticking and I feel physically sick. The second hand is moving faster than the average second and the minute hand is definitely rotating faster than it should. All of a sudden, the clock comes to a sudden halt and I cautiously walk toward it to get a better look. It now resembles the Big Ben Clock Tower in England and I narrow my eyes slightly. What the hell is going on? Just as I'm about to reach the towering building, the world beneath me flashes and I suddenly sit up, breathless.

It was just a dream. Or maybe a nightmare. It was absolutely frightening, but where did the clock come from? I look around and my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness. It must be after midnight. I can't believe I fell asleep. I must've been more exhausted than I thought. I make my way toward my bedroom and lazily take my uniform off, stepping into my pyjamas and plop myself head first onto my bed, sleep already begging to set in. I'm unsure whether or not I hear a few voices, but I decide that it's just because I'm tired and fall back to sleep.

I wake up the next morning and roll out of bed slowly, groaning at the same time. I take a look at my phone and see that Esmeralda has already texted me asking what time I want to go shopping. I lazily text her back, telling her I'll be an hour and to meet me down at Andalasia, West Andily's largest mall. I make my way to the shower and glance toward the kitchen for any sign of life, but it's only me here. After a long shower, I feed Perdita before texting Kocoum that I'll be out and head to Andalasia. After a half hour drive, I arrive to the busy complex and park near the coffee shop where we always meet: Mrs. Potts' Hot Drinks. I lock my car and make my way inside, looking for Esmeralda's emerald eyes, and thick, dark hair. After scanning the room, I see her in the back and she waves me over. I frown a little that she's invited Drizella, Su and Aquata. I have nothing against them, especially Su, she's a close friend, but I thought it was only going to be Esmeralda and I. I roll my eyes at my own selfishness and smile at them when I sit down.

"Got you your favorite", Esmeralda says with a big grin and pushes over a caffé mocha with my name printed in chocolate on the top. She knows me so well.

"Hello", Su says with a small smile and a gentle nod. I return the greeting and smile politely at Drizella and Aquata who don't offer anything but a nod.

"We were thinking of having a look at Ariel's Grotto, then Hundred Acre Wood maybe? They've got a good sale on", Esmeralda says as Drizella snickers at the sound of the word 'sale'. I roll my eyes at her attitude. Drizella is from a very fortunate family. She and her sister were always known to flaunt their money around, unlike her step-sister, who is extremely kind and I always enjoy her company. I really don't know how Esmeralda and Drizella became close.

"Sounds good", I reply.

"I really do need some more clothes. More formal ones too. My father insists", I tell Esmeralda as we walk inside Ariel's Grotto. It's a cute little boutique near one of the exits of the mall on the ground floor. The walls are a deep cerulean and the floor skirting is contrasted with a nice white. I frown at the price tags at almost everything in the shop, but Drizella's and Su's eyes light up. Aquata is disinterested because she works here and doesn't find the appeal, being used to everything. I find a ruby dress with a sweetheart neckline and the hem seems to reach an inch above my knees. I really do love it, but a hesitant look at the price tag and it is put right back onto the rack.

"Adella, put this dress down into the books. I'm taking it", Aquata says and grabs the dress I was looking at. She feigns ignorance when I narrow my eyes at her and I huff, stalking my way down to Esmeralda.

"I'm kidding, it's for you", Aquata says as she winks at me. She laughs at the surprised look on my face and I quietly thank her. She is actually nice when she can be, but she's at her worst whenever Drizella is around, which is all the time. Both Su and Drizella buy a few things before we head over to Hundred Acre Wood where I finally feel more comfortable. Even the name of the clothing store makes me feel at home. I buy a pair of knee-length boots and a few cardigans that go well with the Fall weather. By the time we leave the store, I notice that we've been at the mall for at least three hours. I check my phone to see that Kocoum has left a text explaining his absence last night and that he'll meet me at home. I reply to his message before looking up to see Drizella and Esmeralda leaving.

"See you at work tomorrow", Esmeralda says as she waves goodbye. I smile and turn to Su and Aquata who seemed to have found interest in a group of teenage boys. Aquata is still in high school, her last year this year, and Su is a year older than Esmeralda and I, attending college. I shake my head and laugh a little as they practically drool over them. We decide on Subway for lunch and we talk more about our lives. Aquata is less than thrilled that we've all graduated now, and Su is raving about her recent travels back to China during the Summer break. She is so lucky to be having so much fun in her life, even Aquata has some excitement in school. We say our goodbyes and I head back to my car, slowly making my way home.

I park my car behind Kocoum's black nissan and lock my car. I notice Perdita isn't outside and I hear her small barks coming from inside.

"Hey, baby. Where were you?", he asks and I roll my eyes. I think about saying that I'll text him tomorrow where I was because he seems to think it's appropriate but I bite my tongue and pat Perdita.

"I was just at the mall with Es and the girls", I say simply as I sit down at one of the chairs by the table and sigh into it. I don't realize how exhausted I was until now and all I want to do is sleep, but Kocoum seems to have other plans.

"I booked a table at Belle et le Clochard for dinner. Our reservations are at 8 tonight", he tells me and I nod. I really don't have the energy and I'm annoyed that he's practically telling me what I'm going to do, but we haven't spent time together in awhile, so I really should make more of an effort.

"I need to go down to the hardware store and get a few things for the shed, do you need anything?", he asks.

"No, thank you, though", I say as he gives me a peck on the cheek.

"Make sure you're ready by 7:15, I don't want to miss our reservation", he says and I force a smile.

He leaves and I go back out to my car, grabbing the clothes that I had bought today and taking them into my room. I lay the ruby dress that Aquata had given to me and I decide that I'll wear it to dinner tonight. Grabbing a pair of black heels from my closet, I line up my outfit and change it around a few times before deciding that my original idea was best. I take a quick shower to get me energized, shaving my legs and brushing my teeth all at the same time. I wrap a towel tightly around my body, and one for my hair. I love my long hair so much, my mother always had great hair and always took care of mine. I pad quietly across the hall and almost run into my father.

"Daughter, what are you doing?", he asks as he raises his brow at me. I had assumed that I was home alone, so didn't bother taking clothes in the bathroom with me. Thankfully, my blushed appearance can be easily blamed on my shower and I mutter an apology before I quickly walk to my room, firmly closing it behind me. I lean back onto the door and groan, can't I just catch a break and have a day without something bad or embarrassing happening? First the uncomfortable shopping trip with Drizella, then the forced dinner, and now the awkward encounter with my father. Stay positive. I need to stay positive. Sure, there are some negative things going on with my life, but I have so many positive things as well. I have a family who loves me, a boyfriend who supports me unconditionally, friends who want to hang out with me, and a job to help me keep myself stable. I hear a beep on my phone and take a look.

_'I'm on my way home. We'll leave shortly after. I love you'_

I smile at his message and quickly reply to him, not wanting to keep him waiting.

_'OK, see you soon :)'_

Ten minutes later, he returns and takes a quick shower, changing into a black suit with a maroon tie. He always takes me to fancy restaurants. I try to explain that I don't like that sort of thing, but he insists on showering me with gifts and dinners to show how much he appreciates me. I really don't see the appeal behind it, but I don't want to seem ungrateful either. I put on my dress and heels, brush my hair and style it into loose curls before applying light make up and we leave. I wonder if tonight will go as good as I hope, or as bad as I anticipate.


	4. Dinner Rush

Chapter 4: **Dinner Rush**

We arrive at the French restaurant in twenty minutes and I slowly step out of the car after Kocoum emerged from his side and opened the door for me. The cool air has started to set in as the sun slowly descends beyond the horizon and I am thankful that I wore one of my cardigans. This is the first time he's taken me to this particular restaurant, but by the looks of it, he's been here before. We walk into the foyer where a man dressed in a black tuxedo is standing behind a podium. He is tall and thin, the only thing missing is his moustache to complete the 'French is better than anything else' look this place has going on. The walls are a deep shade of Burgundy, lamps spaced evenly along them and their luminance lights a dim glow throughout the foyer. I take a peek and see that the restaurant is styled very similarly. Sleek black tables and chairs fill the area, the silverware shining brightly and the waiter's on point. We step up to the man in the tuxedo and Kocoum clears his throat.

"Lumiere, sir, table for Lakota", he says as Lumiere searches through his book for the reservation.

"Right this way, sir", Lumiere says in a thick accent and escorts us to a two-seated table. I nod and thank Kocoum quietly when he pulls the chair for me and he sits across from me, gently placing a napkin on his lap as I do the same.

I look over the menu carefully as Kocoum orders us a bottle of wine. I raise my eyebrow at him, wondering why he thinks I would be able to get away with drinking underage in a restaurant, but he simply smiles and calls over another waiter. A tall girl with brown hair walks our way and smiles.

"Hello, my name is Susan. I will be your waitress for the night", she said with a bright smile, her English accent throwing me off. I thought this place was only staffed by French snobs.

"I'd like the Ratatouille please, Susan", Kocoum says and flashes her a charming grin. What the hell?

"I'll take the Steak Frites", I say sharply, then mentally scold myself for being so short with her. I shouldn't even be jealous, Kocoum was just being polite, but Susan is pretty and I've had a long day. She scribbles down our orders and brings our starters, which Kocoum had ordered with the wine.

"How is work going?", Kocoum asks.

"It's good, I guess. My last shift wasn't ideal, though", I say as I dip my baguette into some sort of soup. It tastes like onions.

"Why's that?", Kocoum asks as Susan arrives with the bottle of wine and two wine glasses. I look away, trying not to give away my guilt. Kocoum just shrugs and pours wine into both of the glasses. When I turn back, Susan has disappeared and a glass of wine sits in front of me. Shaking my thoughts, I grab it and take a sip, the familiar taste making me much more relaxed than I was when I arrived.

"Ursula was being Ursula again, and Peter's really starting to tick me off", I say much more honestly. I'm surprised at how quick the wine is taking it's effect on my conversation filter. I would've usually made up some boring excuse of why I didn't like it. Kocoum seems to notice my change in behaviour by the looks of the frown on his face, but he doesn't comment on it. After Susan returns and clears our table, our main comes soon after and I smile at my meal. Steak and fries. I was sure that I would have been given some sort of fine dining version, but it's just the way I like it. Comfort food at it's finest. I dig in and Kocoum tells me a funny story of how one of his co-workers had accidentally cemented his own foot into the foundation of the clothing store they're working on and I am almost in tears. I'm genuinely enjoying myself and I'm not sure if it's the alcohol or the fact that I'm finally spending quality time with Kocoum. It had been awhile since our last dinner date, and we've both been too tired after working, so this was a nice idea and I remind myself to make more of an effort in the future.

When our desserts arrive, I am on my third glass of wine. Kocoum stopped after his first because he offered to drive us back and I'm glad. The wine is making me feel better and better by the minute. I'm no drunk, but I haven't felt this good in a long time. I feel like something is going to happen while I'm in this optimistic state, something that my grandmother was hinting to. I'd forgotten what I had ordered but it's delicious. I steal a spoonful out of Kocoum's dessert bowl playfully and stick my tongue out at him. He shakes his head in amusement and his deep chuckles make my smile grow even more. He's usually so composed, but it's nice to see him let loose when he's around me. It reinforces that he's real, and not with me because it feels like he should be with me.

In the corner of my eye, I see a group of people enter. Six of them, to be exact. I know because I sang while I counted them. I tilt my head as I notice Esmeralda and her boyfriend Phoebus. I remember her telling me that she met him at a college party while we were still in High School and they had been an item ever since. Kocoum and I had known each other since the start of high school because he was the only one at that school that shared a similar background to me and I felt comfortable around him. Phoebus is talking to a blonde man and I feel like I've seen him before. Someone from school? I'm not sure. To my horror, Drizella is with them as well as her sister Anastasia. Why would Esmeralda go out to dinner with them? I feel like calling her over, but her face makes me think she doesn't want to be here. That's the exact same way I felt when I first arrived. I go back to eating my dessert, stealing glances over to their table as a short, plump man takes their order. I remember seeing him having a heated argument with Lumiere when we sat at our table.

"Something wrong?", Kocoum asks and pulls me out of my trance.

"Nope", I shake my head.

"Oh, look, it's Esmeralda", Kocoum says as I look over to where he's looking, pretending like I didn't notice she was here. To my surprise, she is making her way over to us.

"Hey, girl", she says and gives me a soft hug. I hug her back and down the remainder of my fourth glass of wine, the bottle almost empty.

"Dinner for two, huh?", Esmeralda says and winks at me. I giggle lightly and look over at Kocoum, his serious persona once again taking over and I silently sigh.

"Phoebus dragged me along to some business dinner with the evil step sisters", she says and I laugh at the ridiculous name Esmeralda, Cinderella and I had made for them. Relief washes through me as she confirms that she is not trying to become best friends with Drizella.

"Mind if I cut in?", she says before I respond and quickly steals a chair from the table adjacent to us. Kocoum frowns and I shrug. I don't want to ruin our dinner but I don't want to be rude to Esmeralda either.

"Where did you two get off to?", I say a little slowly, my stage of drunkenness obviously passing tipsy.

"Oh, Drizella got a call from her mom and had to go home. I drove us both to the mall because we ran into each other at Isla de Muerta", she explains and I smile. I knew there was a logical explanation for her just leaving me. I frown at the dependance I feel towards Esmeralda, but she was my rock in High School. I honestly don't know where I'd be without her.

"Just the cheque please", I hear Kocoum say as I look up and Susan is clearing our table.

"Es", I hear a voice boom right behind us and both Esmeralda and I jump in our seats.

"Phoebus, you scared me!", I say and swat at his arm. He offers a lop sided grin as an apology and I roll my eyes.

"I'd better go! See you at work tomorrow", Esmeralda says as she leaves me to Kocoum who stands up and helps me stand. I wobble slightly, the alcohol definitely coursing through me, but I feel fine enough to walk on my own. When we step outside, he offers me his jacket when I shiver from the crisp Fall night. I smile appreciatively. Even with my cardigan, it's still cold. We drive back in silence, the quiet hum of the radio filling the space of the car. I can't read him and don't know what mood he is in, which makes me uncomfortable.

"Is something wrong?", I ask as he pulls into the driveway. He sighs and leans back into his chair which alarms me. Was the small talk with Esmeralda that disruptive that it ruined the entire night? He lifts his head and looks at me before offering a small smile.

"No, baby. Nothing's wrong. I've just had a long day, and about to have another one tomorrow", he says as he grips my hands and squeezes it lightly. I am thankful that his confession is light and reassuring. In one swift move, he caresses my cheek and leans into me, capturing my lips with his own and kisses me tenderly. The alcohol is intensifying the feeling and I feel like I'm being welcomed back home. We haven't been interacting in a while, and we haven't been this intimate even longer! I feel him pull away too soon and I pout but he chuckles and runs around to my side of the car to open the door then laces his fingers into mind. Unsurprisingly, my father isn't home and Perdita is asleep in her kennel. Kocoum leads me into the living and uses the remote to turn on the radio. I raise my brow and he offers his hand when a classical songs plays softly throughout the room. I roll my eyes playfully before kicking off my heels and I smile and take his hand in mind, his form making quick work of adjusting to the music. I lay my head on his chest and we dance for at least an hour, my eyes getting heavier by the second.

"I'm going to put you to bed, then I'm going to go home", I hear him say into my hair.

"Stay, please", I mumble, slowly drifting off into sleep.

"Fine, I'll grab some blankets for the couch", he replies.

"No, stay with me", I say as I pull him into my room. He shakes his head and resists my pull. I turn around and pout my lips out at him.

"What about your father?", he asks nervously.

"We're just sleeping, and he's not even here", I say as I yawn in the middle of my sentence. I just want to feel like a normal teenage girl. I won't be a teenager for much longer. I can see him battling with himself before he sighs and follows me into the room. I pull the comforter back and take my dress off. Kocoum shields his eyes as I roll mine and put on a purple robe before joining him in bed. He pulls me to his chest, my back facing him and I fall asleep within a minute. I faintly hear him tell me he loves me before I fall asleep.


	5. You've Got A Friend In Me

Chapter 5: **You've Got A Friend In Me**

Tick, tick, tick, tick. I walk toward the sound of the ticking, but all I can see is darkness. I am blinded by it, but I can hear the ticking as clear as day. Suddenly, I see the source of the ticking. It's an enormous sundial right at my feet. The shadow it's casting points straight ahead and something in the distance is glowing. I have no idea what it is, but I want to find out. The more I walk toward it, the further it seems to be. Frustrated, I start sprinting, but I am going at the same pace as I was earlier. How is that even possible? A sudden shock brings me to my senses as my eyes snap open to a dimly lit room. Another dream? Or nightmare, I really can't decide. I slowly wipe my eyes and feel my head throbbing. The night before suddenly flashes through my mind as I look to my left. Empty. I can't believe I practically begged Kocoum to sleep in the same bed as me. To be fair, I was tired and drunk. And he had been such a gentleman all night. Except when Esmeralda interrupted, but I had such a good night. The headache I have now is making me second guess the amount of wine I should consume when I drink. I slowly roll off of my bed and tightly wrap my robe around my body, making my way down the hallway toward the kitchen.

"Morning", Kocoum says when I enter the kitchen.

"Good morning", I say with sleep evident in my voice.

"Your head okay?", he asks as he makes breakfast. Eggs, sausage links and hash browns. Not exactly something I want while I have a hangover, but I really can't think of anything else to have, and I'm starving.

"Yeah, I think I just need some Tylenol or something", I groan as I slouch into the kitchen chair, leaning onto the table.

"I'll get some down at the drug store after breakfast. Are you working today?", he asks and I nod.

"Yeah, but I'm on the afternoon shift with Esmeralda and Jane", I say as I smile. I love working Friday's because Esmeralda, Jane and I get along well. Also, Ursula is never there on a Friday. Chef Louie is the chef for Friday's and he always brings in his cousin Carlotta, and she's always fun and nice.

"Okay then. Breakfast is served", he says as he puts the various food around the table and serves up my plate for me. I pour us both a glass of orange juice each and we start eating. As always, I look outside through the window and only see my car, which is in front of Kocoum's. I don't even feel like sighing anymore, which is what I used to do. Before he got busy, I would always see my father's police car parked outside every night and every morning. I guess that's how I got into the habit of checking to see if he was home. I had heard a horror story of a Chief Officer being shot, and ever since, I'd wanted to make sure my father was alive.

We clean up quickly and Kocoum drives down to the drug store a few blocks away and I feed Perdita. My headache has shifted from throbbing to a minor thumping. That's the last time I try to lose my inhibitions and enjoy myself like that. Kocoum returns fifteen minutes later and I take the Tylenol. I tell Kocoum that I'm going to take a shower to try and get rid of the hangover faster and he nods, saying he needs to get some things ready for the meeting that he and my father are having this evening. I forgot that he mentioned that he was helping out with my father's campaign today. As I step into the shower and try to wash away my woes, my mind goes back to the events that happened last night once again. I smile as I remember the way Kocoum looked so carefree as he told me about his day. I remember the way I giggled when Lumiere and one of the other waiter's fought, Kocoum rolling his eyes. I also remember the way he tensed when Esmeralda came over. I really shouldn't think much of it, but something in the back of my mind keeps nagging me. Sure, Esmeralda and I got into trouble a few times, but she's not a bad influence. Or maybe it was Anastasia and Drizella being present. I narrowed my eyes when I saw them too, so that could definitely be in. I really don't want to speculate, so I decide that I'll ask him once I'm finished in the shower. I leave the bathroom quickly with a towel wrapped around me and change into a white tank top and black shorts. I walk back into the kitchen and Kocoum is at the kitchen table, reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, and papers scattered across the table. It must be for the meeting.

"What happened last night?", I say as I sit across from him, fidgeting nervously.

"What do you mean?", he asks without even looking up.

"When Es came over to our table", I say quietly. He looks up from his papers and sighs, bringing my hands between his.

"I'm sorry about that. It wasn't Esmeralda, it was her company", he says as his face turns a little darker.

"Wait - you dislike Anastasia and Drizella as much as I do?", I ask which I find quite amusing.

"No, not them either", he says as he has a thoughtful look on his face.

"Phoebus?", I ask with my brow raised. I had the impression that they were friends. Kocoum had been hanging out with them a few times without me, so I thought they had formed some sort of friendship.

"No, no, no", he replies and I blow out a breath of frustration. The only people left is the blonde man that looked like he was Phoebus' best friend, and the older woman. I had never seen her before, but I'm assuming it was Anastasia's and Drizella's mother. I was probably too drunk to realize last night, but it makes much more sense after my shower and Tylenol.

"It was Mrs. Tremaine, her presence threw me off, I guess", he says as his face turns serious again. I look at him with my brows slightly raised, waiting for an explanation. I have no idea what she's like, and I'm starting to wonder why he knows what she's like.

"See, the land that we're building on actually belongs to the Tremaine estate and she's always on the construction sight. I have no idea why, she has no clue about anything relating to building or contracting. She always nags at us and she just makes me feel uncomfortable", he explains as I lay my hand atop his. She must really be something to get Kocoum worked up like this, and the way he reacted last night finally makes sense. I leave him to his paperwork and make my way to my room, opening up my laptop. I check skype to see if my Grandmother is online, but she isn't. I thought as much, but it didn't hurt to check. I look at the time on my laptop and my shift doesn't start for another two hours. It doesn't take long to get to work, so I decide to look through my photo album that Esmeralda bought me on my birthday last year. My twentieth birthday will be here soon. How did a year go by so fast when I practically have nothing to show for it? I smile as I look at the photo of Esmeralda, Wendy and I on our trip to Europe. Wendy was practically our tour guide, showing Esmeralda and I all around London. I then sigh when I think about when she we graduated as she went back to England. She was so friendly and the three os us were always together in school. I manage to use up an hour of my time and I start getting myself ready for work. I try and look for my uniform, then remember that I had left it in the dryer yesterday instead of taking it out onto the line. I grab my uniform and sit it on my bed, cringing at the style and color. It really is not flattering to anyone who wears it. I decide to try and straighten my hair so it looks less wavy and drag eyeliner under my eyes. I then apply lip gloss and look in the mirror. I never use too much make up for work, so I put my uniform on and retrieve my keys from the coffee table in the living room.

"Bye, Kocoum", I say as I kiss him on the cheek. He smiles and reciprocates the action before returning to his work.

I say a quick goodbye to Perdita and drive my car down to Isla de Muerta. I often wondered why it was called that, the place didn't look exotic at all. Esmeralda explained that it was called that before Ursula bought it, and it used to be a pub. Looking at it, I can imagine how it would look as a pub. The mustard yellow along the lining of each wall which inspired the uniform would be the only thing that wasn't there before Ursula bought the building. I look at the clock as I walk in and I'm only ten minutes early. I must have driven slower than I thought. Jane smiles at me and I am relieved to see a friendly face. Kocoum's harsh gaze earlier made me a little uncomfortable.

"How was the morning?", I ask as she walks with me into the small room reserved for the front staff.

"Horrible. We had a breakfast rush like crazy. Chef had to come out into the dining room, it got that bad", Jane tells me as I wrap an apron around me.

"Oh, that sounds bad", I say as I recall the many situations I've been in when it got too busy for the minimum amount of staff Ursula has. We could do with at least three more staff. Even with Eilonwy, our casual worker, it just isn't enough.

"We'd better get out there. We had a table booked for five o'clock", Jane says as she walks back into the dining room and I look into the mirror inside my locker. Thankfully, my hair is still tame and my make up is fine. I put my keys into my locker along with my handbag, lock it, and make my way into the dining room.

A group of seven old men walk in and Jane shows them to their reserved table. She's been working here longer than Esmeralda, and is the only reason Ursula doesn't bother to come in on a Friday. I love my shifts with Jane because she is professional, but knows how to make the most of the day. I clear a table as I look over to the group of old men and frown slightly. I remember they're the ones who left their table in a mess earlier in the week. I take the empty plates and cutlery into the kitchen, smiling when I see Carlotta walk from the back.

"Hi there, honey", she says in a sweet voice and I flash her a smile. All the troubles I felt this morning disappearing like magic.

"Hey, Carlotta!", I chirp as I turn around to see Esmeralda walk in. The perfect team.

"Looks like we may be in for a busy night", she says as more customers walk in behind Esmeralda. I want to talk to her about Cinderella's step-mother, but the job comes first so I get right to work. Esmeralda gives me a smile and gets ready for her shift. Serving the new customers, I nod at Jane, signalling for her to take her much needed break. Did I mention we needed more staff? I walk over to the register to input my customers' orders and hand the paper over to Chef Louis who starts cooking immediately. He is always in a better mood with Carlotta around, we all are. I bump into Esmeralda on my way back and she winces.

"I'm so sorry, Esmeralda", I say as I make sure she's alright.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you", she says as she tries to recover then subtly lifts her uniform shirt. The side of her torso is clearly bruised and I cringe just looking at it.

"We went ice skating after our lovely dinner, and I ended up falling. More than once", she jokes and I laugh lightly. It looks so painful, but Esmeralda is quite clumsy. I would feel guilty about thinking that, but she's admitted it herself.

"You should take it easy then", I tease as she smirks and rolls her eyes, pulling down her shirt and returning to the table she was clearing.

"Heads up, Grumpy over there isn't in the mood for standing around", Esmeralda says as I giggle at the nickname she's given one of the old men. That's something that we always do, make up nicknames for people. They can be completely random, or even describe their personality. I shake my head as I make my way over with "Grumpy's" order. He mutters a thanks and I walk back to the kitchen, finding and serving his friends' orders.

We manage to get through the dinner rush and everything slows down. The only people left in the diner are an elderly couple who are slowly eating through their meal and a young girl, maybe around my age, who I assume has been stood up on her date. Jane, Esmeralda and I go over to the girl to try and comfort her.

"Hey, it's free dessert night tonight. Pick anything from the menu", Jane says softly with a sweet smile.

"What? Oh, I"m fine", the girl say nervously. I sigh silently as I catch on that she doesn't want to admit what we suspect.

"Were you meeting up with some friends?", Esmeralda asks lightly. The girl's eyes widen then sighs.

"Yeah, something like that", the girl replies as Esmeralda puts her arm around her shoulder just as the girl starts to cry.

"Hey, it's alright. You know what? Those so called friends can get screwed! We'll be your friends", Esmeralda says encouragingly and I nod.

"We may not be the most fun people on the planet, but we know how to have a good time", I add as Esmeralda and Jane laugh. The girl giggles lightly and wipes away her tears.

"I'm Jane. This is Pocahontas, and this is Esmeralda", Jane introduces us all.

"I'm Meg", the girl replies as she forces a smile.


	6. Nothing Like A Friend

Chapter 6: **Nothing Like A Friend**

"It's nice to meet you, Meg. Now, really, pick anything from our dessert menu", Jane offers sweetly as Meg slowly nods and glides her finger along the menu as she decides what she wants.

I look up to see that the elderly couple have finished and are waiting at the counter, so I leave Jane and Esmeralda to Meg and I smile at the man and woman as they look at each other lovingly, even after all these years.

"How was your meal?", I ask politely as they hand over their debit card and I swipe it, waiting for them to complete the transaction.

"It was lovely, dear. Compliments to the chef, please", the old woman responds as I hand them their receipt and give them a gentle nod as they leave. Esmeralda quickly packs up their table and I go into the kitchen to see Carlotta finishing up a sticky date pudding with vanilla ice cream. Jane must have already told her. She places it on the pass and rings the bell playfully as I take it over to Meg and Jane with a spoon in my hand.

"This is from Carlotta", Esmeralda says behind me as she brings over three bowls of chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream desserts, a spoon in each bowl. Jane and I reciprocate Esmeralda's smile as Meg shifts further into the booth, Esmeralda sitting beside her, Jane across from her and me beside Jane.

"We're serious about being friends, by the way. We should hang one day. All four of us", Esmeralda says as she spoons some ice cream into her hot brownie, then devours it and hums in appreciation. We all laugh lightly and she shrugs. "We haven't been out in a long time. We should try and schedule Peter and Eilonwy on with Ursula", she says as I look at Jane. Jane looks as if she's considering it and I know her well enough that she wants to stay loyal to Ursula and to not try and alter the roster for our benefit, but she surprises me when she nods. "I'll talk to Ursula about it", she says then finished off her dessert. We pack away everything and proceed to close down the diner, exchanging numbers with Meg and making sure that she leaves with a smile. She really is a sweet girl, and maybe in time she'll us what really happened. She promises us that she will keep in touch and we tell her that we'll try to figure out a way to have a girl's day, and maybe night, out.

I wish everyone a good night and make my way to my car. I don't realize how tired I am until I get in and relax into the seat. I blow out a breath of exhaustion and realize I hadn't checked my phone all day so I look down to see a text from Kocoum, and surprisingly from my father. Kocoum's message says that he won't be home when I get there and my father's is practically the same. Really? After all these nights coming home alone, he decides to text what I had already assumed? I roll my eyes as I buckle my seat belt and start my car. Focusing on getting home as fast as I can, I turn the radio on and my favorite Coldplay song comes on. I smile as the intro to 'Viva La Vida' comes on and it instantly makes my annoyance disappear as I hum along and arrive home without encountering much traffic.

I lock my car as I make my way inside the house, using my house key to open it and throw my set of keys on the coffee table. I am definitely exhausted but fatigue hasn't set in yet. I consider making something to eat but the brownies from Carlotta was filling enough. The house is tidy since no one is ever home and Kocoum and I cleaned up this morning. This is the boring life that I want to escape. My grandmother says it's all about the journey, but how do I start my journey? What path must I take to get to the place where I find excitement and invigoration? As if some higher power was listening, my cell phone rings just as I sigh in frustration for the millionth time.

"Hello?", I ask a little nervously. I absentmindedly answered without taking account who could be calling.

"Uh, h-hey, it's me", the voice says and I instantly recognize it as Cinderella.

"Hi! Is everything alright?", I ask noticing her frantic voice.

"Um, not really", she says as she slowly starts to sob. "I've been kicked out of my house, Poca", she says between hiccups.

"Oh my god! Do you want me to come and get you, Cin?", I ask as I remember that she doesn't have a car. Anastasia and Drizella both have a car each, but their mom would never get Cinderella one. I can sense why Kocoum had a slight disliking toward her at the restaurant.

"Yes please, if it's not too much trouble", she says as I assure her it's not and hang up. Kocoum must be right about Mrs. Tremaine. Cinderella is the sweetest girl I know, why on earth would she kick her out? My exhaustion is nowhere to be seen as I quickly change out of my uniform, and walk out of the house in a purple printed tee and black skinny jeans. The converse that I bought after my first pay check are really convenient for me as I lock the house and get back into my car. I had been over to the Tremaine's house - well, mansion, quite a few times and have memorized the route from my house. They live closer to the city centre, so it takes me forty five minutes until I drive up to the gate of their home. I see Cinderella in front of it, shivering and crying. I quickly run out and wrap my arms around her to warm her and comfort her. This is the second time this has happened tonight.

"What happened?", I ask as I put her bags in the trunk and buckle my seatbelt, watching her carefully buckle hers. Her eyes are red and I can tell that she had been out there for a while. The wind was not forgiving and it is close to 11 o'clock.

"I don't know, really. Anastasia and Drizella had been out drinking and then they came home and Anastasia accused me of making her boyfriend cheat on her with me, then my step-mother kicked me out. I'm sorry that I caused such a fuss. I just didn't have anyone else to call", she explains as her silent tears roll down her cheeks. I squeeze her hand reassuringly and give her a sympathetic smile.

Just when I thought I couldn't dislike Anastasia and Drizella anymore, they prove me wrong. I really should consider disconnecting myself from them. Their presence could taint me in a way that could result in a similar situation to Cinderella's. To be fair, they haven't got any hold over me, but they seem to be much more cunning than I first thought. I don't know how Esmeralda would feel about that. She doesn't seem to be too fond of her friendship with them, well behind their back anyway, but Drizella is a very rich and well known girl. Esmeralda is an amazing singer and dancer and one day wants to be a performer. The Tremaine's would be the perfect opportunity to kick start her career. I consider all my options and before I know it, we're back at my house. I help her bring her luggage inside as she sits on the sofa in the living room.

"I'll only be here a few days, tops. I should be able to find some place to live", she says and I cringe. She is a Junior in High School. She shouldn't have to be independent at this age. I take her bags into the spare room and walk back into the living room.

"Don't worry, you can stay here as long as you want. It'll be nice to have someone around the house", I say as she smiles lightly, her tears staining her cheeks. I sit next to her and wrap my arms around her. She nuzzles her face into my shoulder and lets out small sobs.

"Have you eaten dinner?", I ask her as she pulls away slowly and shakes her head. I simply nod and make my way into the kitchen, looking through the pantry and the fridge to try and find something quick and easy to make.

"We have some fruit and microwavable lasagna?", I ask, trying to give her a choice. There really isn't much in there and I make a mental note to go shopping tomorrow. It's my day off and I hadn't planned on doing anything anyway.

"Lasagna sounds good", she replies sweetly as I nod and put some into the microwave and setting it to high. I grab out a glass as well as the ice tray, pouring the orange juice from this morning into the glass and knocking a few ice cubes into the drink. She makes her way over to the kitchen table as the microwaves beeps obnoxiously loud. She sits quietly and I place the plate and cutlery in front of her and grab an apple from the fruit bowl. She slowly eats the lasagna as I take bites out of my apple, the awkward silence starting to become uncomfortable.

"You can stay in the spare bedroom, I've put your bags in there. There are clean sheets and blankets on the bed already. And I meant what I said. You can stay here as long as you need. You might even want to live here", I say to try and reassure her. I really don't see myself wanting her gone. She is so sweet and kind and funny. The complete opposite of her surname and the traits associated with it. Plus, it would be nice to have regular company over. My father won't mind, and Kocoum has a heart, so there really is no problem.

"Thank you, really. You're such a great friend", she finally says as she smiles at me, the twinkle in her eye returning. I was afraid that the act would've robbed her of her gentle and caring nature. I'm glad it didn't. We talk for a little while longer and when I check the time it's 12:30 am. I cringe at the thought that she may be tired and I kept her up by talking with her. I smile as she goes into the spare bedroom and I make my way to my room. I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone, putting it onto my vanity, kicking my shoes off and changing into my pyjamas. The exhaustion starts to settle in as well as the fatigue and I look toward my window. I hope Cinderella can get some sleep. I decide that I'll take her out tomorrow and try and cheer her up. I also decide that I don't want to be friends with Drizella anymore, fake or otherwise. She is obviously not worth the hassel, and I'd hate to be on the receiving end of one of her tantrums. I just hope Esmeralda will understand.


	7. Cinderella

Chapter 7: **Cinderella**

A loud thud wakes me and I squint my eyes to try and adjust to the darkness. I have no idea what the noise was and am afraid to find out. I quietly tiptoe over to my vanity, banging my foot against the leg and silently curse myself. I pat my hand along the top and find my phone, carefully pressing the button on the side to bring up the lock screen with the time on it. It says it is 4 in the morning and my heart beats even faster. Of course it could be Kocoum coming in, or even my father. Then I remember my house guest and calm slightly. The most likely explanation is that it is Cinderella trying to navigate the house at night time. I slowly walk over to my room and open it, the loud and agonizingly slow creak makes me cringe and I take a deep breath when it's ajar. I poke my head into the hallway and see a figure in the kitchen, a small glow making it a little easier to see who it is.

"Father?", I ask as I walk down the hall.

"Daughter, you should be sleeping", he replies.

"I was. I heard something out here", I say as I sit across from him with a scowl on my face. I really am not in the mood for his attitude.

"I'm sorry about that. My suitcase dropped from the table", he says as he nudges his head toward the suitcase on the ground then returning his attention to his laptop and continues typing.

"You may go back to bed now"

"I'm awake now, anyway. I have something to tell you", I say apprehensively, not knowing what his reaction will be to letting Cinderella stay here.

"What is that?", he asks.

"I - well, I invited a friend to stay with us for a while. She had nowhere to go and-", I begin as he cuts me off by looking at me for the first time in days.

"Who is it?", he asks with a frown dented into his profile.

"Cinderella. You know, from school?", I squeak.

"The girl with the step sisters?", he asks as I nod. I had only brought her over a few times when Drizella or Anastasia had come over, courtesy of Esmeralda. I hope he remembers how polite and sweet she was. I can't stand the thought of her being kicked out of this place as well.

"That's fine. Just let me know how long she will be here for", he says as he returns to his work. When does he even sleep? I nod and walk over to the fridge and pour me a glass of orange juice. I flinch when the cold liquid hits my teeth, the cold air not helping with the overall temperature. I look back at him and sigh before putting the juice back into the fridge and walking back to my room. Why is that campaign consuming him so much? I know it must be difficult, but I didn't think he would shut me out completely. I lay back in bed and stare at the ceiling, trying to clear my thoughts of my father slipping away.

* * *

I slowly open my eyes and realize that the sun has risen and it seems as if it's high in the sky. I smile at the fact that I had a peaceful sleep, regardless of waking up in the early hours of the morning. It must be almost noon for me to feel this refreshed. I wipe the sleep from my eyes and yawn, stretching my arms as much as I can and feel my head start to lighten. I shake off the feeling with a deep breath and grab my phone from my vanity. I raise my brows when it reads '10:10 AM' and smile again. I love that I got so much sleep on my day off then remind myself that I intended to take Cinderella out shopping. I hope she doesn't feel too awkward right now. I didn't tell her to make herself at home, but I thought she'd just assume that. I'm a terrible hostess. I slowly walk into the hallway and make my way to the spare bedroom, knocking on the door lightly.

"Cin? You awake?", I ask quietly.

"Come in", she responds.

I open the door as she sits up in the bed, brushing her hair, still in her blue nightgown. I always liked Cinderella's blonde hair, and now I know why it's always so soft.

"I didn't mean to sleep in this late", she says before I say the exact same thing. I laugh lightly and she furrows her brows.

"I was just about to say the same thing. So, you haven't had breakfast then?", she shakes her head in response.

"We'll go to Mrs. Pott's for coffee and breakfast then decide what we'll do from there. I'll give you fifteen minutes?", I say as I stand up and she nods with a smile. Just as I am about to leave her room she speaks.

"Thank you so much. For everything", she says as she lowers her eyes to the ground, embarrassment clear on her mind. I don't know what say or do in case I further humiliate her or make her feel like she can't talk to me, so I simply nod and make my way back to my room.

True to my word, I leave my room in fifteen minutes having changed into white shorts and a violet tank top, my hair tied in a ponytail and light make up on my face. It's just going to be the two of us, so I don't feel like getting dressed up. Cinderella is waiting on the couch in a baby blue sweater, the sleeves cutting at her elbows and a white shirt underneath. Her black knee-length skirt and black slip-ons make me smile. She looks cute. Especially with her hair in a bun. I lock up the house and we head into town. I groan at the traffic and it takes us 40 minutes to finally arrive at the mall. We both make our way to Mrs. Potts' Hot Drinks and I order a caffé mocha and a breakfast croissant, while Cinderella orders a hot chocolate and a chocolate chip muffin.

"So, I guess you want to know the full story?", she says out of the blue and I snap my head up from my drink.

"Well, Anastasia has been dating this guy Milo for a couple weeks. He's really sweet and kind, I guess we sort of became friends. She never really said it, but I got the feeling she didn't want me being friends with him. He's attractive, I guess, but having romantic feelings never crossed my mind once", she explains and I nod along, knowing well that Anastasia was very territorial over everything.

"Then out of nowhere, they came home last night and she blasted me. She called me such horrible names and then they kicked me out. I tried to ask my step mother to intervene, but she just ignored me. I tried to explain the situation, but they wouldn't have it. Then, that's when I called you", I give her a sympathetic smile. I have never come between a couple before, but I get the feeling she hasn't either. She wasn't even trying to get in the way, she was only being friendly.

"I know how Anastasia and Drizella can be. They'll throw a tantrum one day, then ask you if their dress flatters them the next", I say as I try to encourage her.

"I don't know. They've yelled at me and called me names before, but last night Anastasia was so vicious and pissed off. I'm really unsure how this will all play out", she says as she finishes off her muffin and I sip my coffee. We make small talk and discuss what we're going to do on our day out. Cinderella says she doesn't mind and I'm apprehensive to ask how her finances are. I have no idea whether she had an allowance from Mrs. Tremaine, but she would always have money when we would hang out.

"How about we just look around and see if there's anything that interests us?", I say as we stand up and walk into the main ground floor area of the mall. We walk around for half an hour before spotting a salon. I really want to get a haircut, nothing too short. I love my hair. It's healthy and reaches down to my knees, but it does get in the way sometimes. Perhaps I should get it trimmed to my waist?

"Do you want to go in?", she interrupts my thoughts and I nod lightly.

"Do you want to get your hair done as well?", I request more than ask in curiosity.

"Oh, no, I'm fine. We're not just here for me, you know", she says with a small smile and I nod. I'm probably making her feel uncomfortable. The only person I've had to comfort was Esmeralda, which rarely happens as it is. It's easy with her because I know her so well. She tells me everything and we trust each other. It's going to be a little difficult with Cinderella since I don't know her as well as my close friends.

I walk into the salon and ask for a small trim. The woman I talk to looks beautiful, and her red hair looks incredibly sleek and shiny. She nods and tells me to sit while she gets everything ready. Cinderella sits near the reception desk and flicks through a magazine. Maybe I should've left this until I was out with Esmeralda or Su. Half an hour later, the woman is done and I thank her. She leaves it out of the ponytail, and I decide to leave it out all day. I pay for the haircut and we leave. I quickly check my phone to see if I have any texts but there are none. What else is there to do? This is so awkward because I have no idea what Cinderella does for fun, and it's even more awkward because I feel like I should know a little bit more about her. I know Drizella more than I know Cinderella, but that's only because Esmeralda hangs out with Drizella a lot.

"Do you want to go to a craft shop?", she asks and I smile. That sounds like fun. I nod and she leads me to a couple of escalators which lead us to a small area on the third floor. We walk up to a shop that reads 'Mystic'. A suspicious look takes over my face but Cinderella smiles and shakes her head with humor as we enter. A short and stout woman is standing behind the counter while a spooky melody fills the room. We look around for a few minutes when a pocket watch catches my eye. It's silver with and is engraved with a renaissance styled pattern, a single opal jewel in the center of the front. My birthstone. I open it with a click of the button at the top, and it reveals a ticking hand. I feel a shiver go down my spine and I frown. I look up to the woman who was standing at the counter, but she isn't there any more.

"I see you have found the Pocket watch of Atlantis, how lovely", I jump as I turn to see the woman is behind me. She's much smaller than I thought, and her purple hair makes me question whether I should've let Cinderella convince me to come here.

"Oh, uhh, it's nice", I say quickly as I wrap the silver chain around my fingers. It really is a nice pocket watch.

"Oh, young lady, it isn't just nice, it's perfect for you!", she says as she closes my fingers around the pocket watch.

"How much is it?", I ask, really wanting to leave.

"For you, girl, it is free of charge", she says and walks away. When I try to look where she went, she's nowhere to be found. She must be in the back room that are only accessible to staff. I find Cinderella and show her the pocket watch that the lady gave to me. She doesn't seem very interested and we decide to leave. I ask Cinderella if she wants to go anywhere else, or if she has anything to pick up from the Tremaine's, but she says no. I really have no idea what we're going to do for the rest of the day so I try and think of something when I pull into a gas station to fill my car. Just as I'm about to head into the car from inside the gas station, I spot Su pulling up and wave her over.

"Hey! How are you?", I ask.

"I'm good. I've just been at classes all day. You wanna hang? I need some girl time", she says as I smile. It's been awhile since Su and I did something together, and it would help the awkward atmosphere I have with Cinderella.

"Sure. Can Cinderella come along? We just came from the mall", I ask.

"Oh, alright", she says and looks away. That's weird.

"What's wrong?", I question.

"I, well, I just heard what happened last night. You know, Cinderella trying to get into Milo. Ana was hysterical", she says and I frown. Wow, Anastasia is more manipulative than I thought.

"No, that's not what happened! It was all a misunderstanding", I defend Cinderella. She really did have no one else to turn to.

"Really? Anastasia can be a bit of a drama queen, but I don't think she would react this badly if she wasn't completely sure", Su says as she scans the area then her gaze lands on Cinderella.

"She was distraught, Su. She's staying with me for now", I say in a much softer tone and she smiles.

"Her step sisters can be a bit of a handful", Su says with a giggle and I sigh in relief. She fills up her car and I return to mine, letting Cinderella know our change of plans. Su insisted we go to her house since it's closer and I agree. Cinderella looks a little worried about going over but that's probably because she knows that gossip from Anastasia and Drizella spreads faster than fire, but it's just as harmful. We follow Su and arrive within ten minutes. I park my car behind hers and both Cinderella and I follow Su inside. I love coming over to Su's place. It's not simple, but it's not too extravagant either. The two storey house stands tall, the walls coated in a pale yellow coat, and it looks like it's shining. It probably is, really. We walk inside and make our way to the living room. Su kicks off her converse while Cinderella and I take our shoes off a bit more gracefully.

"What a day!", Su says as she slumps back into their black sofa. I sit on the couch and Cinderella cautiously sits next to me. I had forgotten that she had never been to Su's. I used to come here all the time when Su was in high school.

"How was college?", I ask and she rolls her eyes, going into a story about how she swears her professor has it in for her and never lets her get away with anything. By the time she finishes her story I am in stitches and even Cinderella is giggling. If there is one thing that Su can do, you can guarantee that she can put a smile on your face even when you're gloomy.

"So, what happened?", Su says and my eyes nearly pop out of my head. I look at Cinderella and she's visibly uncomfortable. I look back at Su and she shrugs.

"Look, I've heard her side of the story, I just want to hear your side", she says casually and I mentally slap myself for coming over with Cinderella.

"Anything she told you is a lie", Cinderella says harshly with her gaze fixed on the floor.

"Then what's the truth?", Su prods.

"The truth is Milo and I are just friends, if that. I was friendly with him and he was friendly back", she says and I feel bad for her. I know she's not comfortable answering these questions, but we are in Su's house. Well, her parents house anyway. They trusted the house with Su's older sister Ting Ting, and they live in the house on their own.

"You know how Ana is, maybe you shouldn't have been so friendly?", Su says, finally picking up on Cinderella's discomfort.

"I'm friends with Pocahontas, should Kocoum be jealous?", Cinderella fires back and I gasp.

"Hey, hey, I'm just trying to figure this whole thing out. For the record, they do tend to overreact to things", Su says.

"It didn't help that they were drunk", I add and Su frowns. I want to question her on it but Cinderella speaks up.

"It doesn't matter anyway. They kicked me out. End of story", she says and brings her knees to chest, wrapping her arms around them. Su shrugs before she changes the subject and I am more than grateful. I wish she hadn't brought it up, but it was assuring to see Cinderella back up her story. Not that I thought she was lying. As Su begins to tell us about her troubles with her job, my phone vibrates and I open the message.

_'Hey girl. On my way to Su's with Anastasia and Drizella. You will not believe what happened. Come over'_

Oh no.


	8. Red Alert

Chapter 8: **Red Alert**

I look up to Cinderella and she is listening to Su's story, or at least she's pretending to. I have absolutely no idea how far they are, but I need to get Cinderella out of here quickly.

"Su, can I talk to you for a second?", I ask as I stand and start walking to her staircase. She has a confused look on her face as she follows and Cinderella pulls her phone out of her pocket.

"Es, Ana and Drizella are on their way", I say in a hushed voice, making sure Cinderella can't hear me. I don't want her to find out, then feel like she has to leave. She's already had to leave at the hand of Anastasia and Drizella Tremaine.

"Really? They haven't said anything", Su says as she grabs her phone from her pocket and looks through her inbox.

"Oh, here it is here. I have my phone on silent", she says and I start to feel concerned about her nonchalance.

"We need to get Cinderella out of here, but I don't want to hurt her feelings", I explain and Su nods.

"Well, it looks like they'll be here soon", Su says and shows me a message that she just received.

_'Just at the corner store down the road'_

I know that isn't enough time to try and convince Cinderella to leave before they arrive, so I decide to go with a different idea.

"Hey, Cin, do you want to come up to Su's room? I've got something to show you up there", I really hope I don't sound as fake as I feel. I really don't want to hold the truth from her, but she is so fragile from the night before that it's probably in her best interest. A confrontation here is not what any of us needs, but it will happen if they collide.

"Uh, sure.. Okay..", she responds hesitantly before eyeing Su, then me. Even Su has a worried look on her face, but at least she understands the situation better than Cinderella does.

"We'll be down in a couple minutes", I say to Su, loudly enough for her and Cinderella to hear. I really hope I wasn't being too obvious. After climbing the stairs and walking down the hallway, we walk into Su's room and sit on the bed. Cinderella looks at me expectantly so I walk over to close the door then take a huge sigh of relief.

"So... what did you want to show me?", Cinderella asks with a curious look on her face. I had almost forgotten that I was supposed to be showing her something.

"Oh. Well, honestly, I just thought it was getting a little uncomfortable down there. Su is really sweet, but she's also very straight forward. I hope you don't mind", I say to her as she nods her head. It isn't exactly the truth, but it isn't a lie either.

"No! Thank you. It was getting a little uncomfortable, actually. Maybe we should go back to your place?", she asks and I hear the faint sound of Su's front door opening. My heartbeat increases by the second and I try to remain in a somewhat calm manner so that Cinderella doesn't suspect anything.

"Oh. I would, but I don't want to seem rude. To either of you", I clarify.

"Well, what are we going to do then?", she asks with a quizzical look on her face.

"We can stay up here for a little bit, then I'll go down and let her know we'll go. Actually, I'll do that now. Can you just stay up here, please?", I ask and she looks slightly offended. I hate being in the middle of these sorts of situations.

"Um, alright then", she says and looks around the room. It is definitely a strange request to have her wait in someone else's room while I go and give a fake explanation of why we're leaving. I walk out into the hallway and quietly close Su's door. How am I going to go down the stairs without them knowing I was already here? It's too late to text and let them know. I look to my right and see an open door, a balcony outside of the room. I think it might be Su's sister's room, Mei. I groan quietly before walking into the room and out onto the balcony. There is a built-in ladder on the house on the side of the balcony and I cringe. I'm glad I dressed in rather loose clothing today. I slowly descend down the ladder until I reach the bottom, which is still around ten metres from the ground. I cringe and take a deep breath before jumping and landing harshly on the ground, before slipping and landing on my back. I groan much louder this time with my eyes close and they widen in shock when I open them again.

"Poca?", Esmeralda says with an amused look on her face. "What are you doing?", she continues.

Oh god, I probably look like some crazy person falling back onto the ground. When I was on the ladder, she was nowhere in sight, so she couldn't have seen me trying to escape. Maybe she saw it as me trying to get in. At this point, I don't know which is worse.

"I.. Well I thought I saw someone in Mei's room", I frantically explain to Esmeralda. Lying is not my specialty, and I don't know how I can keep up this whole charade. Maybe I should come clean to her.

"Your car was here when we got in. I asked Su and she said you were out here", Esmeralda says and I sigh in relief. Su is definitely better at this than me. I can't backtrack on Su's lie, so I have to go along with it.

"Yeah, I came out for some fresh air. I've just been having some problems", I say as Esmeralda frowns.

"Girl, you know you can come to me for anything", she says as she leans back onto the wall and crosses her arms. If it only it were that simple. I need to think before I speak.

"Oh, it's nothing big. Su and I were talking about our jobs and I got a little worked up. Ursula has been on my back and she doesn't even care when Peter messes up. It's just not fair. I know I haven't been there very long, but neither has he", I say and feel a weight lift from my chest. I didn't even realize I was holding that in. I am relieved to have this talk with Esmeralda but I have to remind myself than Cinderella is still here, and I need to get her out without anyone noticing, or her becoming suspicious.

"I know what you mean.. Hey - I've got some gossip to tell you! Come inside", Esmeralda says as she ushers me into the living room. Anastasia and Drizella are sitting on the couch, Starbucks for each of them and Su gives me a weird look.

"Oh, hey Pocahontas", Anastasia says in a monotone voice. I roll my eyes and look at Esmeralda who chuckles lightly and shakes her head.

"I'm guessing you haven't heard about Cinder-whore-a yet", Drizella pipes in and I frown at the horrible nickname the evil step sisters gave my friend. Evil step sister's isn't exactly nice, but it isn't as derogatory as whore..

"She was caught making out with Milo Thatch. You know, from their college?", Su adds with a raised brow, seeming to have switched sides yet again. I don't know whatever lies they filled her head with in the ten minutes I was away, but I'm certainly not going to let them persuade me.

"Really?", I try to stay neutral in this whole thing. I'm totally on Cinderella's side, but I don't want to cause a huge fuss and create unnecessary tension.

"Yes. She was all over him and I finally just kicked her out. I mean, who does she think she is? We give her a roof over her head when her useless excuse for a father kicked the bucket, and she has the audacity to try something with my man?", Anastasia says with her nose in the air and taking a sip from her obnoxiously priced coffee.

"That doesn't sound like Cinderella", I don't feel like being neutral any longer.

"Uhh, you barely know her", Drizella says as she puts her coffee cup onto the coffee table.

"And why would I lie about this? Milo was the love of my life", Anastasia adds as the waterworks come tumbling in. Either they're very good actors or there may be more to the story. I know Cinderella wouldn't lie about this, but perhaps she got the wrong end of the story? But she did say that it was them who had the wrong end of the story. I decide that I'm going to use this time for clarity over the whole situation.

"I'm sorry. I'm not doubting you or anything, but I don't really like gossip", I say as I look at Esmeralda. Her and Su can see straight through me since we've had countless gossip sessions over the years. Anastasia and Drizella roll their eyes in unison as I turn my attention to Su.

"Su, can I get a glass of water?", I ask as she smiles knowingly and simply nods. We walk into the kitchen and can faintly hear the whispers of the three of them still in the living room. I scoff at the thought of them trying not to be rude by speaking quietly, but I know they're just doing it for the effect of the malice behind their intentions. Anastasia and Drizella, not Esmeralda.

"How am I going to get Cinderella out of here without them noticing? They look like they're not going to move any time soon", I say in a voice just above silence, making sure our friends don't hear a single word. I have no idea why I assume Su will have the answer, but I'm praying that she does.

"Well, I guess I can ask if they want to go out to the porch out back? I know Drizella won't be able to pass a bottle of wine", Su suggests.

"You're the best!", squealing and hugging her doesn't seem like a good idea, but she is such a good friend. I look over to Esmeralda who has a questioning look her face, but I use my facial expressions to let her know I'll explain everything later. As if we're telepathically connected, she gives me an understanding nod and returns her attention to the evil step sisters. Su and I walk out from the kitchen and I awkwardly sip my glass of ice water.

"Do you guys want to go on the porch? We can start wine hour", Su says sweetly with a giggle at the end. Drizella's smirk confirms Su's hunch from earlier and we all start making our way through the french doors in their living room that leads to the back of the big house.

"I'll just take this back", I say as I quickly down the rest of my drink. I bite down on my cheeks as the freezing sensations rushes straight to my head and I walk back upstairs to get Cinderella. When I open the door she is still sat on the bed and is reading a book that was on Su's night stand.

"Let's go", I say breathlessly before snatching the book from her hand and tossing it back onto the night stand, the empty glass in my hand is put alongside the book.

"I thought we were too polite to leave?", Cinderella says as I tug her from the room. I quietly walk down the stairs and stop in my tracks. What if Anastasia is parked behind my car? How will we get out? I grip Cinderella's hand before leading her out to my car and breathe a heavy sigh of relief when Anastasia's car is nowhere in sight. She must've had her driver drop her off. She probably knew that Su was going to offer her a drink and wouldn't be able to drive.

"Oh, I'm just going to grab my bag from inside. I'll be right back", I say and rush back inside. I am not cut out for this scheming business and will not be in a hurry to do it again. I make my way out to the patio and try to pretend that I'm sick.

"Hey, guys. I think I'm going to head home. I'm feeling a little ill", I say as I grab my stomach.

"Are you alright?", Esmeralda's concern is touching, but unnecessary. Very unnecessary.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Have a good time, girls. Thank you so much, Su", I say and give Esmeralda and Su a hug. I throw a smile to Drizella and Anastasia before heading back to the car and buckling my seatbelt.

"You left your handbag in here", Cinderella says and nudges her head toward the back seat of my car.

"What is going on?", she adds, crossing her arms.

"Nothing", I say quickly.

"Really? Because you and Su have been acting strange. Just tell me if she doesn't want to hang out with me. Or.. do you want me to find somewhere else? Because I can", she starts and my heart sinks.

"No, no, no. I'm sorry you feel that way. Nothing is wrong, Cin. I just - well, it's Esmeralda's birthday soon and I wanted to throw her a surprise party. My head has been all over the place, so I'm sorry if I made you feel that I don't want you over, because that's so far from the truth", I explain. I have no idea where that came from, but it is finally a lie that will actually make sense. But now I have to throw Esmeralda a surprise birthday party, which doesn't sound too bad. She deserves something like that.

"Oh! Why didn't you tell me? I can help, if you'd like?", she offers and I nod. At least it will be less stressful than asking Drizella or Aquata for help. Esmeralda isn't into fancy or expensive things, so Cinderella's simple taste will be perfect. I start my car and start making my way back home.


	9. Hellfire

Chapter 9: **Hellfire**

My mind is reeling with the events that happened earlier. I must admit, it did make me feel a little alive, but there's no way I want to do something like that any time soon. Or ever, really. I'm such a people person, and it bothers me to see people upset. I give Cinderella a small smile as we park in the driveway of my empty house. Cinderella offers a smile before heading to the front door and waiting for me to follow. I grab my handbag from the back seat before following her, locking my car. I unlock the house and Cinderella heads toward the bathroom. I throw my keys onto the coffee table and slump back into the couch. I open up my handbag and fetch out with pocket watch that the mysterious woman gave to me earlier. It really is lovely, and for some reason gives me a sense of nostalgia.

"How was your day?", the heart attack I feel is only a minor representation of the shock and surprise of the sudden voice.

"Don't do that! You scared me..", I say as I try to calm my anxiety, returning the pocket watch into my handbag and placing it onto the coffee table next to my keys.

"Sorry", Kocoum says as he sits next to me. I quickly grab my phone and look at the time. I can't believe it's already 5 in the evening. Time flew by today, and I hadn't even realized how dim it was becoming outside.

"I had an... interesting day", I respond to his earlier question quietly, making sure that Cinderella doesn't overhear anything.

I begin going into detail about how Cinderella came over last night and I allowed her to stay for as long as she needs. Kocoum is very supportive and even suggests that he take her to school. He has regular hours that fit well with her school hours, and the new project they're working on is only a block away from Disney High. He doesn't comment on the Tremaine's kicking her out, which I find strange. Perhaps he is just holding it all in? He does that a lot. After explaining today's events, he has a thoughtful look on his face and I look back to hear Cinderella go from the bathroom to the spare room - her room. I really hope I didn't upset her. She seemed excited to help me plan Esmeralda's surprise birthday, which I failed to mention to Kocoum. Oh well, the less who know, the easier it is to be kept a secret.

"Do you have any plans tonight?", he asks as he gets up to fetch a glass of water from the kitchen. I can still see him from the couch when he's at the sink, but his back is turned to me. I groan silently at the thought of doing something he has planned after the long day I had. I take a slow breath before making myself remember the promise I made to spend quality time with him. Last time it was really good, so maybe it's just what I need after today.

"Not really", I try to sounds indifferent, but it comes out as a whine.

"That's good. I was hoping we could stay in. Maybe watch a movie?", he says and I smile. Just when I think I know him, he surprises me. He is my dream boyfriend, and I really do see myself having a future with him. Marriage? Maybe...

"Sounds good", I say when I realize I haven't responded. He smiles at me before pouring another glass of water and bringing it over to me. I smile and take a sip as he sits back next to me and wraps his arm around my waist, urging me closer to him and I nestle my head into his chest. I hear Cniderella come back toward the living room and I sit upright and give Kocoum an apologetic smile before turning to her.

"Hey - are you hungry? We were just going to order pizza and watch a couple movies", I say to her as she sits on the sofa perpendicular to the coffee table.

"Yeah, I am. Thank you", she says.

"Are you alright?", Kocoum asks and I throw a glare in his direction.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired. We had a long day", Cinderella answers and I nod in agreement.

"Can you call the pizzeria? I'll pick out some movies", I say to Kocoum as he nods and makes his way into the kitchen, grabbing the cordless phone and dialing the number. I take this opportunity to start my planning for Esmeralda's birthday.

"I've already got a few ideas, but I want to run them by you. I know you don't know Es very well, but two heads is better than one, right?", I whisper to her and she nods along, seeming to believe that I truly was planning a birthday. At least it won't be a lie anymore..

"Esmeralda likes low key stuff, so naturally, we're going to have a massive party", I say in a quiet voice as Cinderella giggles. I know Esmeralda doesn't like big fusses, but I'm sure she'll get the humor behind it all. She usually does.

"She's turning twenty one, so I want to make this really special. Invite some people from her past, maybe? I want to try something cool", I explain and put my finger to my lips when I notice Kocoum disconnecting the call.

"I got our usual. I hope you don't mind, Cinderella. It's a Hawaiin and a Meatlovers", he says and sits next to me, much more formally than he was before. I shrug it off because I don't enjoy PDA either, and I don't think Cinderella would appreciate it considering what happened today.

"That's fine", she replies.

"What movies did you choose?", Kocoum asks as I stand up.

"Liar, Liar", I say as I cringe at the irony. I really should've chosen something else, but maybe a light comedy will put us all in a better mood. Twenty minutes later the pizzas arrive and we all dig in, playing the movie as we eat.

After the movie, I definitely feel like I'm in a better mood. I'm not exactly ecstatic, my thoughts continue to rush through my head, but I'm content. I try to think of the positive outcomes of today. The awkwardness between Cinderella and I seems to have fizzled. It's still a little tense, but I feel more comfortable speaking around her than I did before. I got to hang out with Su for a bit. I got a haircut. I got a nifty new pocket watch, and I'm having a good time with Kocoum. Thinking about these seems to have calmed me as we slide another disc into the blu-ray player. I'm glad that Kocoum never objects when it comes to my favorite movie. Unconditional Love. The tale always reminds me of the adventures people go through in life, and you can never expect what is to come.

I recite the lines along with Grace and cry when the heartbreaking reveal of Victor's death arrives, even though I know the outcome. Kocoum wraps his arm around my shoulder carefully and even Cinderella is affected by the movie. I feel my eyes getting heavy near the end of the movie and I allow sleep to take me.

Tick, tick, tick, tick. I have a vague memory of this sound, but it's almost as if I've only imagined it happening. Every time I try to think back to when I experienced this memory, it is gone just as quickly. I look around and in the distance is a grandfather clock. The one that I used to see all the time as a child. The one that is at my grandmother's house. I smile at the familiarity and make my way toward it. I stop suddenly when I hear a voice, a very distinct voice. It's the sound of my mother's voice! Tears are already falling down my cheeks as I get closer to the clock. Once it's within reaching distance, I extend my arm to touch it and am shocked when flames surround me. The heat is overwhelming and I can feel my eyebrows singe from it. The loud roar makes me cover my ears and I look around to try and find my mother or the clock when I am jolted away from the area.

I take a sharp breath in and my eyes widen in shock, beads of sweat soaking my forehead and the sound of the start menu of the movie is on a continuous loop. I look to my left to see Kocoum with his head resting on the back of the couch, his light snores calming me and my heart rate decreases slowly. When I look to my right, Cinderella is missing. I assume she went to bed. I look around for my pocket watch and notice it is nine o'clock at night.

I shift around and stretch my arms and back, the position I was in made for an uncomfortable sleep. I slowly pack away the mess we made with our dinner, and return everything to how it was. It doesn't really take long, and by the time I finish, Kocoum has woken up.

"I would've helped you", he says with a soft smile.

"I know"

"I guess I better go home now. I'll come over in the morning and sort some stuff out with Cinderella for Monday", he says and I look around the room before taking a deep breath..

"You can stay, if you want. I - well, I had a bit of a strange dream. Or nightmare", I say and Kocoum tenses.

"I love you Poca, I do, but we've already spent the night together. I don't think your father would approve", he says with a stern look in his eyes.

"Firstly, he's never here, so he wouldn't know. Secondly, it's not like we would be doing anything wrong. I just want to feel safe tonight", I really feel like having him sleep in the same bed as me will calm me.

"I heard my mother", I say quietly as Kocoum's eyes widen in shock.

"Her voice was in my dream", I clarify as he relaxes and walks over to me, embracing me tightly.

"Okay. Okay, I'll stay", he says into my hair as I hum in appreciation.

He takes my hand as we walk to my room. I grab some pyjama pants and shirt and walk back toward the bathroom. I don't want to put him under any more pressure by changing in front of him. I change into my pyjamas and start brushing my teeth when I hear a light knock on the door.

"Do you have a spare toothbrush?", Kocoum asks as I nod and take one out from the toothbrush stand. We never had many guests, but we always liked to be prepared. Another knock on the door startles me and Cinderella comes in with her toothbrush and toothpaste in hand. The three of us look around awkwardly but continue brushing our teeth. Luckily the basin is wide enough for us all to fit, but it's a little weird having three of us standing there in silence.

We finish up and I wish Cinderella a good night before Kocoum and I return to my room. He has taken off his shirt and is only in his wifebeater and blue plaid boxer shorts. I have to admit, he looks very good in them and I admire how he manages to keep up his physique. He doesn't work out like crazy, but he does go to the gym once or twice a week. It was a little hard for me to let him go. I always heard of women going to the gym solely to pick up guys, or to just gawk at them. I know Kocoum would never cheat on me, but he is far too nice to tell them to go away or leave him alone. I went to his first gym session, but it wasn't really a comfortable environment for me, so I bit the bullet and let him go on his own. It's not that I don't trust, I just don't think I would be able to handle infidelity if it ever came.

"Goodnight, Kocoum", I say to him as we climb into bed, kissing him on the lips.

"Night, baby", he responds as he pulls me to his chest and I instantly relax into his shape. It's times like these that I forgot how he has such a staunch persona whenever we're in front of others. I know he's not embarrassed to say or do these types of things in front of others, he just isn't as comfortable as he is when it's just the two of us.

It's like we were meant for each other. I smile at the thought and sleep eventually takes over once again.

(A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone!)


	10. I Wanna Be Like You

Chapter 10: **I Wanna Be Like You**

Kocoum wakes me up the next morning, but I feel too comfortable to get out of bed. I know it's only early because Kocoum is paranoid that my father will come into the room and see us in the same bed. There's more of a chance that my grandmother will walk in and see us than my father. I know that isn't true, but my father seems to get more distant as each day passes. I feel my lip tremble slightly at the thought, but I take a deep breath and try to focus on something else. Cinderella. I hadn't thought about what she would do today. I don't know how comfortable she would be staying here by herself, but it'd probably be a lot less awkward than coming to work with me. I consider asking if she would like to hang out with Kocoum, but the thought quickly disappears. They're civil to one another, but know nothing about each other. I sigh dramatically before groaning and getting up, looking over to Kocoum who is quickly trying to pull on his clothes from the night before, tripping in the process. I stifle a laugh and he gives me a glare before finally getting fully dressed then cautiously leaving the room.

I grab my uniform from my closet, and grab my hamper with my dirty laundry in, including my other uniform. I take it to the laundry room and start the machine, making sure to remember to drive back here for my lunch break and to put the washed clothes into the dryer. I take my clean uniform and walk into the bathroom. Turning the shower on, I start thinking about the strange nightmare I had yesterday. The clock seems to be a recurring theme in these dreams I've been having lately, but they never seem to be the same clock. I vaguely remember the Big Ben from my first dream, and the clock from yesterday isn't really clear to me anymore. The flames were something new, and the sound of mother's voice. Everything is hazy, but my mother's distinct voice is crystal clear. I really need to call my grandmother. She may know what this all means. I grab the towel from the rack and dry myself off, putting my uniform on and walking over to Cinderella's room.

"Hey, Cin", I ask as I knock on the door lightly then open it.

"Morning", she says back. I am surprised to find her already up and getting ready to shower.

"What did you want to do today? I'm working the morning shift", I explain.

"Oh, do you mind if I tag along? It'd feel a little weird to stay here alone", she says.

"I don't mind! I just thought you might get a little bored", I say with my brows raised.

"I can keep myself occupied", she responds and I nod.

I exit her room and walk into the kitchen. Kocoum has made both of us some muesli and yogurt, and I smile as I take a seat. Cinderella walks in while we start eating and Kocoum offers to make her some, but she politely declines and tells us she'll have a late breakfast at Isla de Muerta. I have no problem with it, and at least that'll use up some time for her. I really do feel bad about her having to come in and wait for me to finish my shift, but she says that she doesn't have a problem with it. We finish our breakfast and lock up the house. Kocoum drives back to his places and Cinderella and I make our way to the diner.

We arrive five minutes early and I sigh when I see Ursula inside. It is only the two of us on for the morning, but she usually tolerable when it's only us two. When I enter, I let Cinderella in and she sits in one of the booths, going over the menu. I walk into the staff room and a twist my face in confusion.

"What are you doing here?", I ask curiously.

"Oh, Ursula asked me to come in to look at my timetable or something", Peter says as he shrugs his shoulders.

"Oh".

I swear Ursula and Peter are related or something. She treats him much nicer than the rest of us. She does treat Jane a lot better than Esmeralda and I, but she sees absolutely no faults in Peter. The frustrating thing about that is that he's the worst staff member out of all of us. He's constantly late, he always asks us to cover his shifts and he still doesn't know how to link the desserts with meals. I take a deep breath and put my bag into my locker before putting on my apron and walking out front. I open up the front door to the public and Cinderella tells me her order. I decide to buy her breakfast for her and she thanks me after trying to refuse it. She really doesn't deserve what happened to her, and I figure that doing nice things for her will help her see not everyone is as deceitful and malicious as her step sisters and step mother.

The day seems to go by quite fast and it's already my lunch break. I quickly grab my bag from my locker and say a quick hello to Eilonwy as she helps out Ursula in my absence, and make my way back home with Cinderella. We make small talk and I keep asking her if she's okay or if she's bored. She doesn't seem interested in my concern so I shake it off and we're at my place within minutes. I unlock the house and drop the keys onto the kitchen table as I microwave the pasta I asked Chef Louis to make for me and quickly make my way to the laundry room and transfer the wet clothes into the dryer, turning it on and walking back to the kitchen. We returned back to the diner in time and I finished my shift. That rest of the day was uneventful and Cinderella looked relieved to be able to go back. Luckily school started back for her tomorrow. When we get back to the house, I walk into the laundry room and take my clean claundry into my bedroom. I return to the kitchen to look for something to make for dinner and groan internally when I realize I hadn't bought groceries like I had originally planned to yesterday. I sit down at the kitchen table and lay my head on it, my hair sprawling all over my shoulders.

"You alright?", I hear Cinderella ask quietly. I sit up and let out an exhausted laugh.

"Yeah, I just forgot to get some groceries. I'm sure you'd like a balanced diet", I joke.

"We could go out to dinner, if you'd like?", she suggests. I'm still unsure about her financial status at the moment and don't know how to ask.

"Daddy left me a lot of money in a savings account. Maybe he knew something like this was going to happen to me", she says with a laugh. At least I know, and this solves two problems at once.

"Alright then. Give me a minute and I'll be ready", I say then stand to go back to my bedroom.

I change out of my work uniform at into a pale blue t-shirt and black skinny jeans. I put on my flats and brush my hair quickly. I hope she doesn't suggest somewhere too formal because I would stick out like a sore thumb. I walk out of my room and back into the living room when I see Cinderella wearing the same colored top but it's plaid material and black skinny jeans as well. Her white converse completes the look and I am surprised at how different she looks. She has her blonde hair in a tight plait and she gives me a smile.

"Where did you have in mind?", I ask.

"Have you been to Elsa's Hideout?", she asks and I nod.

"That's the buffet restaurant, right?", I ask as we make our way back to my car.

"Yeah, it's really good. I go there all the time - well, used to", she says and her expression changes. I start the car before it can get any more awkward.

We arrive in thirty minutes, which is a good time considering the amount of traffic. I look up to the small restaurant, the name making me smile. It really is like a hideout. If you were passing by, you would never be able to see it. I only knew about it when our neighbours treated us when my father and I first moved in. It would be nice to see them again. We walk inside and are escorted to a small circular table covered in a violet table cloth and covered with silverware and black serviettes. The walls in the restaurant are ice blue with a white trim. I've met the owner of the establishment once when I came with Esmeralda and Aquata and she was so sweet. A little quiet, but I was the same.

"What are you going to get?", she asks as I go over the menu.

"I didn't have much for lunch, so I'm going to get the chicken breast stuffed with cottage cheese and mushrooms", I say as I literally feel water rising in my mouth.

"That sounds good! I think I'll get that too! It's on me", she says and closes her menu.

"No, that's fine! I can pay for it myself", I say.

"Pocahontas, you've let me stay with you and you drove us here. It's the least I can do", she says and I nod timidly. I don't want to dwell on it, so I let her go. But I make sure to remember not to let it happen again. When our meals arrive, I dig in straight away and we finish within twenty minutes. I am so full when we get back to the car and Cinderella seems to notice.

"Do you want me to drive us back?", she asks with a grin and I tilt my head her way. She's been awfully nice today. Not that she's never nice, but she's usually more quiet than generous. I really don't feel like driving so I nod and walk around the car, replacing her in the passenger's seat and she sits in the driver's. I don't even notice myself falling to sleep, but when I wake up in my driveway I quickly try to pretend that I wasn't sleeping and cough a little.

"We've been here for ten minutes", Cinderella says with a light giggle. I feel the heat rushing to my face knowing I got caught out. There's nothing I can do so I just let out a laugh, and Cinderella's giggle increases. We make our way inside and I sit on the couch. The nap I took in the car has given me a weird sense of energy so I go back to my room and pull out my laptop. I should've done it earlier, but I had been busy recently. I walk back into the living room and see Cinderella watching TV. I really don't think she'll mind if I have a quick chat, so I turn my laptop on and log in to the video chat program. To my delight, my grandmother is online and I click on her icon immediately.

"Hello, Grandmother Willow", I say with relief clear in my voice.

"Hello, child. How have you been, my dear?", she asks and I feel much lighter. I hadn't realized how heavy my chest felt until now.

"I've been good", I lie. It's not that I've been bad, but I certainly haven't been good.

"Oh, dear, you know I can tell when you stretch the truth", she says and I let out a cross between a laugh and a sigh.

"My life is... just a little different at the moment", I say and watch as Cinderella walks over.

"You must be Poca's grandmother. I'm Pocahontas", she says the bursts into laughter.

"I mean, I'm Cinderella! It's nice to meet you", she corrects herself.

"I'm Willow, but people call me Grandmother Willow", my grandmother responds.

"How are you Grandmother Willow". Rude. I thought this was a private conversation. What? I must be tired emotionally, because I sure don't feel it physically.

"I am fine, child", my grandmother replies.

"She's staying with us for a little bit", I say and give Cinderella a smile. She returns the gesture and my earlier annoyance disappears.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I heard a voice... My mother's voice", I say as I look back at my grandmother. The image of her seems to have frozen and I stifle a laugh.

"Your mother's voice? Oh dear", I flinch when I hear the tone of her voice.

"What? What is it?"

"Child, what did she say?", she asks and a shiver runs down my spine.

"I - I don't know. I couldn't hear it, but she sounded sad almost", I say without even registering the thought. I hadn't even thought about the tone of voice until now, but it's crystal clear in my head.

"That is not a sign of a good omen, my dear. What's going on in that head of yours?", she asks as the video is restored and I can see her frowning at the camera.

"What does it mean?"

"When a loved passes and you hear a saddened or angered voice, it's usually a sign of something evil coming your way. I cannot tell you what, but you must be aware of your surroundings", she says and I immediately think of Ursula. Is she going to fire me? My second thought is Esmeralda. I hope nothing bad will happen to her. What did I do to deserve this negativity in my life? Oh my god, if something is wrong with my father, I will never forgive myself for not pursuing this further.

"Could it be my father?", I ask hesitantly.

"Absolutely. There is no telling who it can affect. It may be more than one person. Even if it doesn't directly affect someone, they can be touched by the ripple effect, dear", she says and I nod.

"What can I do?", I ask and see Cinderella in the corner of my eye. She seems to have lost interest in the conversations and is on her phone.

"Next time you have a dream, make sure you have a notebook and pen next to you. When you wake up, immediately write down everything you remember. Let me know when that is done and we'll take it from there", she says and I nod, making sure to do just that when I finish. The conversations continues and becomes lighter. She laughs when I tell her about Kocoum's funny story that he told me the other night. I wish her a good night and Cinderella comes back for a final goodbye before we both head to bed. I grab my journal out from my top desk drawer and place it next to me along with a black pen. In a strange way, I'm really hoping I have that strange dream. I can't remember much from it, but I hope to tomorrow.

I feel my eyelids open before I register that I had fallen asleep. My prior reminder has slipped from my thoughts for a moment, but I quickly remember and grab my journal and pen. I press the tip of the pen to the page and I realize I hadn't even dreamt. That, or I simply don't remember. I groan before leaving my bed and wiping the sleep from my eyes. I don't even bother changing before going into the kitchen and pouring me a glass of juice and putting the empty orange juice carton into the small recycling bin. I sit down at the kitchen table and think over my day. My father and Kocoum will both be at work, and Cinderella starts back at school today. Jane and Esmeralda are rostered on and Su has classes all day long. I guess I could have some time to myself and just relax. After doing some grocery shopping of course.

"Morning, Poca", Kocoum says as he walks through the door, Perdita following behind him.

"Good morning", I reply.

"Sorry I couldn't come by yesterday, I was catching up with an old friend", he says.

"Oh, that's alright. Don't feel like you have to always be here. I'm a little less lonely with Cinderella here", I say.

"Okay. I still want to spend time with you. I'm picking up more hours at work and you seem to be getting busier", he says with a tired expression.

"You're right", I sigh as I lean back in my chair.

"Good morning", I hear Cinderella as she walks to the table and takes a seat. I'm surprised to see her already dressed and am relieved that she was able to come out on her own without me going in first. It wasn't bothersome, but I was starting to think that maybe she thought she needed permission to leave her room.

"If you're ready, we can get going. You may be a little early", Kocoum says as he looks at his watch and Cinderella nods.

"Goodbye, have a good day", I say to the two of them. Kocoum kisses me on the cheek and Cinderella gives me a friendly wave.

I finally hear silence indicating their complete departure and I make my way to my room. I grab out some old clothes and take a shower. My grandmother's words are still heavily sitting on my mind. I can't help but think that this big negative event is staring me right in the face and I just can't put it together. Maybe I should compile a list of all the little problems happening in my life right now? After scrubbing all the negative thoughts from my skin, I make my way to my outside. I feed Perdita and play around with her for a while before jumping in my car and making my way to the supermarket. I really need to be more organized otherwise it'd be take out for the rest of the year.


	11. The Gospel Truth

Chapter 11: **The Gospel Truth**

I get all of the grocery shopping done and run a few errands, coming back home and relaxing. The rest of the week pretty much consisted of this except I went to work instead of just staying home. I hardly saw Cinderella or Kocoum, our busy and conflicting schedules keeping us away from each other. I even came home from work early once but Cinderella stayed at the library to study. Soon enough, it was already Friday. Cinderella had been here a week and it looked like she was going to say for good. We both slowly got more comfortable around each other, and I hoped she felt a little more at home than she did a week ago. I do a little bit of grocery shopping for tonight's dinner and relax until it's time to get ready for work.

Once I leave the house and drive to work, I feel a pang of guilt for hardly seeing Kocoum all week, and I haven't seen my father at all. I decide that I will change that tomorrow, or maybe even tonight. Before I know it, I'm already parking into the car park of the diner. I pull out my phone and send Kocoum a quick message before I walk inside and wave to Jane.

"Hey! How was the morning shift?", I ask as she follows me into the back room.

"It wasn't too bad actually", she says softly, her English accent making it sound even gentler.

"Hey, girl!", Esmeralda says as we walk in. I return the greeting and smile at her.

"We've still got some time before our shift starts and I've got a bag of pods with your name on them", she says in a sing-song voiceas she shakes the bag, her grin making me roll my eyes playfully.

"Just hurry up, will you", Jane says with humor in her tone as Esmeralda mocks her. Jane laughs it off and goes back onto the floor as I put my bag in my locker, then sit next to Esmeralda.

"So, how was your week? We haven't been able to catch up without Ursula breathing down our necks", she asks.

"I know. Life's pretty boring, as usual".

"Well, spice it up then! Get some danger in your life! I'm going skiing for the weekend", Esmeralda boasts and I panic. I had been very content that my life was boring because that meant nothing extreme would happen. Esmeralda's plans is extremely dangerous and I feel the need to put a stop to it immediately.

"Why? Skiing isn't dangerous. It's boring", I say as I try to sound nonchalant. It's probably not working.

"Have you even been skiing? Or to the snow?", Esmeralda questions.

"Once, and it sucked", I lie. It was the most fun I've ever had.

"I've been loads! It's so much fun!".

"Why would you want to go anyway? You'll only get hurt".

"You're not giving me enough credit", she says and she looks hurt. I really don't want to hurt her feelings, but I don't want her to be physically hurt.

"Can I come?", I ask before I can stop myself.

"Oh... so this was a dig at me for not inviting you? Of course you can come, girl", she says as she pops one of the chocolates into her mouth and pulls me into a hug. I return the gesture and sigh into her shoulder. I try to rationalize it and think that at least if I'm there with her, I can stop her from doing the risky and dangerous stunts, instead of worrying myself into an oblivion.

"Girls!", I hear Jane call as I look up to the clock and notice we're five minutes late. Esmeralda looks a little regretful and I'm sure I share the same expression. We know Jane won't be mad, just a little annoyed. We are proved wrong when we get to the front and Jane's father is standing at the front of the counter with his business partner. Jane had told us a few stories about how her father's business associate corrupted her father. Her father used to be the sweetest and gentlest being on this earth until he met his business partner. You would never believe it if you saw his stone cold face right now, his short stance looking ridiculous next to his tall and bust friend. I had never met his business partner, but now I wish I never even saw him. He narrows his eyes at Esmeralda and I as we walk behind the counter.

"Can one of you serve these gentlemen, please? I need to clean up that table over there", Jane requests with a gentle tone.

"I'll leave it to you", Esmeralda calls over as she makes her way to a couple who had just taken a seat. I glare at the both of them then return my attention to the men after Jane's father clears his throat harshly.

"We have been here for five minutes already and still haven't been asked about our orders", Mr. Porter says harshly and I cringe at his tone of voice. His friend stays silent and I am thankful because the glare he is giving me makes me think that his bark and his bite are equally as harsh.

"May I take your order, sir?", I say meekly. I try my best to sound more confident, but it fails.

"Finally", he huffs.

His associate mutters something incoherently, but Jane's father seems to understand and nods. His friend stalks over to a table and I notice the way he steals glances toward Jane. Before I can think anything of it, Jane's father clears his throat again.

"If you minded your own business, then maybe we can get some damn food!", he says harshly and my eyes widen.

"I'm sorry, sir. What would you like?", I ask as he tells me, not yells at me, their orders. I nod and promise him complimentary drinks. I know I shouldn't give up like that when it comes to rude customers, but I don't want to make any trouble for Jane, or for the other customers. I take the order to the kitchen and smile in relief when I see Carlotta helping out Chef Louis.

"Don't you worry about him, dear. He will be gone soon enough. Doesn't like this place all that much", she says with a wink and I giggle. He must come to this place often enough to leave an impression. Although, this is only the second time I've seen him here and he left quite the impression that he lived up to today.

"Thanks, Carlotta", I say with a grateful smile. I walk back into the dining area and wipe down a few empty tables. I look over to see that Jane looks flustered. Esmeralda doesn't seem to notice but I go over right away.

"Hey, Jane, you can take a break now", I say as we both look to the front entrance. A family walks in and Jane sighs.

"It's fine. I'll take a break after the rush", she replies and I nod sympathetically.

Jane's father and his friend stay for at least another hour and the three of us are on edge. We are all frantic because of how busy it is, but none of us find the time to call in Eilonwy. When they leave, Jane takes her break and the crowd starts to quiet down. Both Esmeralda and I look like we've been working for hours and we both feel drained.

"So, have you heard from Cinderella lately? Anastasia and Drizella claim to not care but I think they miss her", she says as we sweep up the closed off section of the diner.

"They probably miss ordering her around", I say dryly. Cinderella hasn't seemed to kick the habit because the house is always spotless. Granted, it's only the two of us and I usually tidy up whatever mess I make, but I did notice the glass cabinet was shinier, the tapestry was brighter, the drapery was cleaner.

"Have you heard from her?", she asks genuinely.

"I'm not saying I have, but... how would you feel if I had?", I ask, not looking in her eyes.

"Pocahontas, you've been meeting up with her, haven't you? I know you're kind, but someone like that doesn't deserve your kindness. Someone like her", Esmeralda says, the disgust clear in her voice when she say's 'her'.

"We don't know the full story", I say, purposely avoiding her question.

"Oh god, you have! Where is she? What did she tell you?", Esmeralda presses.

"Would you calm down?", I say in a harsh whisper. I bend down to sweep the the mess into a dustpan.

"I'm sorry, I know you're a nice person and you always see the good in people, but Anastasia was pretty messed up", she says in a much calmer tone.

"Have you heard from the guy? What's his name? Milo?", I ask as we both stand upright.

"Well, I haven't. But Ana says that she's done with him. He's probably with her", Esmeralda says with a shrug of her shoulders.

"No. She's staying with me", I say quietly. Judging by the complete silence from her, I'm guessing she's mad.


End file.
